The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Swanson seeks strong finish

Senior tight end looks to improve pass-catching

<p>Redshirt senior tight end Zachary Swanson caught the second touchdown of his collegiate career last week against Georgia Tech.</p>

Redshirt senior tight end Zachary Swanson caught the second touchdown of his collegiate career last week against Georgia Tech.

Redshirt senior tight end Zachary Swanson has two touchdowns in his Virginia football career. The first came two years ago, when he gloved a short pass from quarterback Phillip Sims as time expired at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Cavaliers lost that game 56-20 — Virginia “got smacked,” according to Swanson — and the officiating crew brought the proceedings to swift conclusion.

“They didn’t even let us kick the field goal,” Swanson said Monday.

His second score came last Saturday in Atlanta, when he hauled in a 13-yard reception from sophomore quarterback Greyson Lambert with 1:10 to play in the first quarter of a 35-10 loss to the Yellow Jackets. Swanson has now scored in both end zones at Historic Grant Field.

Though Swanson was born in Stuart, Florida and attended high school in Katy, Texas — where he helped capture state championships as a sophomore and junior on the Katy High School football team — his grandparents lived in Atlanta, and his parents both studied at Georgia Tech. Ramblin’ Wreck football holds a unique place in his heart.

As a boy, Swanson would try to high-five the Yellow Jackets and their opponents after the final whistle, all the while hoping to receive a pair of gloves from someone on the losing side. On Saturday, Swanson gave his gloves to a little kid, doing just what he once did.

“I grew up going to Georgia Tech games,” Swanson said. “I remember being in that exact spot.”

He caught 19 balls for 173 yards in 10 games last year, when he paced Virginia in receiving yards through two games before suffering a lower extremity injury against Virginia Military Institute. But in his farewell campaign, Swanson’s numbers have mostly declined. Though he is currently averaging a career-high 14.3 yards per reception, he hasn’t had many receptions — just seven in nine games.

Swanson said his deflated receiving totals have hurt his confidence as a pass-catcher.

“It’s been tough for me, because it’s a mindset thing where it’s sort of [a] self-fulfilling prophecy,” Swanson said. “You know, I don’t get thrown to a lot and then drop the ones I do get thrown to, and then I’m like, ‘I’m terrible.’”

Swanson has consciously chosen to adopt a more positive outlook in recent weeks, a period in which Virginia (4-5, 2-3 ACC) has stumbled badly, with consecutive losses to Duke, North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

“I’ve really tried to focus mentally on just, you know, ‘I’m all right,’” Swanson said. “I’ve got to do what I’m doing to help win games. And if that’s blocking — you know, what I’m called to do the majority of time — I’m going to do an excellent job with that. And then when I’m thrown to, I’m just going to relax. I know I have good hands — I know I can make plays.”

His efforts to fight through self-doubt somewhat correspond to his experiences as a member of losing Virginia football teams. Swanson continues to mentally process the program’s repeated setbacks — and to search for ways out of the mire.

“I lost more games my first year here than I did all of high school,” Swanson said. “And it’s been tough to try to figure out why we’re losing, how to turn it around, and then when we do win, how do we keep that level? It goes back to, ‘Why don’t we have winning seasons? Why don’t we win games? Why don’t we have successful second halves? Why aren’t drives successful?’ And each time, it’s a little bit something different.”

As the Cavaliers enter the final weeks of the regular season, Swanson is looking to go out strong. He’s played for Virginia since 2010 and has won more than four games just once in his five years here. He said the team is eager to play good football, for several reasons.

“We’re playing for coach [Mike] London, we’re playing for our teammates, we’re playing for this season, we’re playing for a bowl game,” Swanson said. “It’s a big thing for us to get these wins and play hard.”

London said his tight end will have numerous chances to make his mark as a pass-catcher before the season concludes.

“Zach has been improving,” London said. “The fact that he hasn't gotten a lot of footballs thrown his way also lends credit to the fact that you've got to catch them when they are thrown to you. That's any receiver, that's any back. But again, with three regular season games left, Zach will have opportunities to catch the ball.”

Comments

Latest Podcast

The University’s Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admission, Greg Roberts, provides listeners with an insight into how the University conducts admissions and the legal subtleties regarding the possible end to the consideration of legacy status.



https://open.spotify.com/episode/02ZWcF1RlqBj7CXLfA49xt